February 2009

Ah Pre-school and the things that come with it…..

Poor Trent, his nasty sinus/ear infection has turned into Pink Eye- which means “ no school”.  And of course with twins- Sophie too woke up with it today.  Back to the pediatrician we went today.  Dr. Oro was so funny though.   She’s one of the two pediatrician at that practice who cover us.  The practice did that when we first went to them since we were the smallest children in their practice and they wanted to make sure there was always a doctor on service who was familiar with us. There have been many times though where Dr. Oro has had to step up with Sophie and reach far back her residency days ( catheters, shunt malfunctions, meningitis etc)  and when she saw Sophie on her schedule today she said all she could thinks was “Well shi…”  Thankfully it was  (in her words) “common garden variety pink eye” and she was SOOO happy that Packard wasn’t involved and it was just a simple prescription for eye drops.

Hopefully the drops work quickly and tomorrow we can go back to school.  It was obvious they love it and were so bummed that they had to stay home today.

It’s funny how life continues to bring you changes- both good and bad.  

Pre-school has been an awesome experience with both of them enjoying it in different ways.  Sophie is so social and busy but made of point of showing us what she was made of by using the bathroom for the first time at pre-school.  I’m not sure if it was peer pressure or just feeling the moment but for whatever reason she decided she needed to experience the bathroom at pre-school.  I know, I know- small moments but for us it say’s YES- she can feel it, NO we may not have to get intimately involved with the urology folks at Packard and YES- she is being Sophie and somehow she got a break. We’re still taking it one day at a time but it’s amazing how the little things can just make your day.

However, on Friday we said goodbye to Doris our long time nanny.  Wow that was hard. She’s been such an important part our lives- taking care of Trent and Sophie since they were technically 5 months old and I went back to  work after my maternity leave.  We will forever be greatful for everything she did for our family and I know Trent and Sophie will always think of her  as someone special in their  early lives.

Last week they celebrated Valentines Day at School and were so proud of the projects they brought home. And of course they’re so social. They love interacting with the college kids at State in the quad and are not shy. Apparently Sophie wished EVERYONE happy Valentines Day and made everyone smile. Aaron said it was one of those moments of “Hmm – if I could just disappear” since everyone was looking at him with his outgoing toddler.  

Trent too loves school in his own way.  He loves to play, has made friends and thoroughly enjoys the other kids.  He though unlike Sophie is very aware of getting dirty (remember his is the child of “ anal Aaron”) and takes great pains to keep himself clean. Sophie on the other hand always comes home in a new outfit and is a giant mud ball.  Such different kids.

Unfortunately being out in the world has brought it’ share of illnesses and this weekend Trent experience his first major ear/sinus infection.  Poor little guy.  It started of course on Friday night around 7pm with complaints of an earache. Needless to say it turned into a very, very long night with him crying and both of us taking turns to try and settle him.  On Saturday Am I took him to the pediatrician and she said he had a significant ear infection that was so significant that it had blown a small hole in his ear drum (which will is suppose to heal) and that he had a major sinus infection.  Wow.. how fast things happen. 

He for the most part he seems fine but it’s sure been hard to keep him down and resting.  And of course it’s rained and rained all weekend. We had a million ideas of things to do but we just didn’t want him out- spreading his nasty infection or tiring himself and not healing.

The plan though tomorrow is to take him back to the doctor.  His ear looks better but now his eyes are bloodshot and small and we can tell something it definitely up.

I know everyone has said school is like hanging out in a Petri dish- I think I just wasn’t ready.  That on top of Trent’s early ear issues- just make this whole nasty infection really, really scary.

Pre-school a whole new world…. For all of us.  (including Tia and her family).  I guess it’s all about growing up.  We’re working at getting the routine down.  What time to leave, when to nap, how to get them out the door, where to park, which clothes to pack to put in their backpacks… and what to say when Sophie comes home from school with green hair (like today).  And of course, watching them crash….

 I guess this all prepares me in a weird way for our teenage years. Once again we’re reminded that it takes a village. 

[Show as slideshow]

Change is hard.  I’ve known this for quite some time but wow- getting four people to change routines, structure, and daily life all seemed so easy but wow- it’s a lot.

Our new schedule is school from 12:30-3pm with Tia watching them in the morning, taking them the school and Aaron picking them up.  Aaron who is still on disability for his shoulder but is actively looking for a new job (the economy drama touches everyone) is trying to be chief cook (nothing new here), bottle washer (that is collective) and childcare (new) is taking us to whole new places.

There are lots of changes too.  Potty training (I’ll get back to that), school, new day care plan and a new boss for me.  Lots of things happening all at once.  All completely good- but just a lot at once.

Ah potty training.  So hard.  Every day is hard but we continue to make progress.   It’s almost though like you’re going backwards since we’ve long mastered diapers and blow outs have become almost a non existence occurrence (not like when they were 3 months old and it was a stand back experience) but now- underwear- it’s BACK!!! Why I thought now as a good time to go green vowing for 2009 that I would use have NO plastic bags in our house… so not a good idea.  What to do with the big GIANT blow out?  Paper towel is so not the answer?  Needless to say, we’ll soon be going to the neighbors begging for the so cherished, soon to be illegal plastic bags…

The kids though love school!  Hard to get them out to the door (all be it – we’re just talking day 2) but once they get there – they seem very happy!  Today though Ms Joy- the teacher called me and the first sentence out of her mouth was “ Trent is Ok.”  I wasn’t quite sure what to say.  She then went on in a very NERVOUS voice to explain that he had put his entire hand in a large jar of red pain and his hand reacted like he was allergic. She then went on to explain to me the side effects of toxins and lead but assured me they had NONE of that in their supplies.   I felt so bad for her.  I wasn’t quite sure what to say.  I apologize of course for the mess he made and asked if he was upset (he wasn’t – he asked her not to call me because he didn’t want to home) and then told her I suspected that his hand reacted because he has HORRIBLE eczema.  His poor little hands are almost raw and I’m sure that whatever in the paint just made it worse.    She thanked me and said she just wanted me to be informed.   All this is new for me but it does remind me of the days when I first went back to work after I had the babies and Doris would leave me notes of our daily activity.  I remember thinking it was neat and it wasn’t until later that she told me that all parents expected it and she was just following protocol. 

All this to say, after everything we’ve been through with Trent and Sophie just makes you relax and a little reaction to paint— such a no brainer…